GRAND RAPIDS, MI – It was all so simple at this time last season for the Grand Rapids Griffins. There was no NHL, so no juggling and no shuffling of players to the Detroit Red Wings.

The lockout of a year ago ended Jan. 6, 2013, and the first Grand Rapids-Detroit transaction of the season came a week later when defensemen Brendan Smith and Brian Lashoff joined the Red Wings for the belated start the season Jan. 19. And those two were expected to be in Detroit anyway.

This season, it is back to normal for the organization, and the revolving door has been on high. Five players already have made their NHL debuts, three veterans from Detroit have spent time in Grand Rapids and the Griffins’ transaction sheet near the midseason mark is almost as long as last year’s for the season.

Second-year coach Jeff Blashill has repeatedly said player moves are a constant in the AHL, and won’t be used as an excuse. So far, that hasn’t been necessary anyway, as success has continued for last year’s Calder Cup champs.

The Griffins have held the Midwest Division lead since early November, and have the best mark in the Western Conference (49 points at 23-9-1-2) heading into Wednesday’s home game against Rockford.

The Griffins are also home Friday and Saturday against Iowa.

All the player moves can get a little confusing. To put it into perspective, they’ve been broken into three categories – “first timers,” “still newbies” and “Red Wings revisited.”

Here’s a look at each:

THE FIRST-TIMERS

Already, five players from the Griffins roster this season have made their NHL debuts with the Red Wings:

• Center Luke Glendening – No one knows the I-96 expressway like Glendening, who has been recalled six times and is currently with the Red Wings. He has played 18 games with Detroit, and has impressed Mike Babcock with his work ethic.

• Defenseman Xavier Ouellet –First-year player ping ponged between teams in October and early November. He played in three games with Detroit (Oct. 21 vs. San Jose, Nov. 9 vs. Tampa Bay and Nov. 13 against Winnipeg) without a point. He also received good reviews.

• Forward Tomas Jurco – The touted right winger made the most of his first recall. He joined the Red Wings on Dec. 15, played in seven games and had two goals (the first came in his second game, against Anaheim on Dec. 17) and an assist. He rejoined the Griffins on Dec. 30.

• Defenseman Alexey Marchenko – A first-year player and the most recent call-up (Jan. 2) after an injury to Danny DeKeyser. He made his debut in the Red Wings’ last game Jan. 4 and looked solid.

STILL NEWBIES

Three players, who previously made their NHL debuts, have gotten another dose this season:

• Center Riley Sheahan – The Red Wings top pick in 2010 was up four games with the parent club from Dec. 16-28 with Henrik Zetterberg out. He had two assists in his first recall since a one-game stop last season.

• Petr Mrazek – Injuries to Jonas Gustavsson and Jimmy Howard have keep the Griffins’ expected starter in Detroit more often this season. After two short stints in October, the second-year goalie has been with Detroit since Dec. 11. He has played in four games – started three – with 1.90 goals against average and .910 save percentage.

• Gustav Nyquist - OK, he is a bit of a stretch here, since he has some experience, and his move to Detroit was expected all along. The only surprise was how long it took. As injuries mounted, he joined the Red Wings on Nov. 21, and that’s where he will stay. He has nine points (4-5-9) in 18 games, after 40 previous games with the Red Wings in stints the previous two seasons.

RED WINGS REVISITED

It’s rare for Grand Rapids to get a Red Wings’ veteran for anything other than a rehab assignment. This season, however, the Griffins have had three for an extended period, with two currently with the team.

• Center Cory Emmerton - After playing two seasons with the Red Wings, Emmerton was the odd-man out coming out of camp, cleared waivers and, save for a 10-day stretch in December, has spent the season back with the Griffins. He has 24 points (9-15-24) in 27 games with the Griffins; and nine games with two assists with Detroit.

• Forward Jordin Tootoo - The 30 year-old Tootoo, a 10-year NHL veteran, joined Grand Rapids on Nov. 14 and, outside of a five-day trip back to Detroit, has stayed. He has five points (1-4-5) in 17 games. He also has played 10 games with Detroit.

• Forward Patrick Eaves – It took Eaves a while to return following concussion issues, and he joined the Griffins on Nov. 15 and stayed just short of a month before joining the Red Wings, where he played the past four seasons. He’s still there, after six points (4-2-6) in eight games with Grand Rapids. How long he stays will be determined, in part, by injury issues to others.